Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Call for stronger penalties for texting drivers

DRIVERS convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists has said. An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years. In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost their concentration due to using their mobile phone.

KoenigSaab coming soon?

Koenigsegg are in the running to take over Saab Saab were given Swedish Government protection recently (similar to Chapter 11) to try and find a suitor or funding to operate independently. Of course they can’t do that completely, at least not in the short term, as they are so tied in to GM’s platforms on their current and soon to be released cars. But Saab has a strong – if quirky – history and, with the right backing, could stand alone as a niche maker of aesthetically individual cars.

Brabus turns the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG up to 850 hp

While other German tuners' cars sometimes answer questions no one asked, Mercedes-Benz tuning house Brabus has tended to answer questions that many were too scared to ask. One such question was: what would an 850-hp E-class sedan be like? The answer comes in the form of their latest reworking of the E63 AMG sedan (itself no slouch, it should be noted), called the 850 6.0 Biturbo.